Fifty Big Ones
by CathGilLove
Summary: The Grissom's celebrate Gil's 50th.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fifty Big Ones

Author: ANNE (the insane one)

Rating: CSI-2

Summary: The Grissom's celebrate Gil's 50th birthday.

Disclaimer: Characters et al belong to CSI. The kids are mine.

AN: I'm fudging the ages around. Obviously Gil's going to be fifty, which automatically makes Cath 43. It's set after 'Christmas the Max Way'.

So: Lindsey is 24, Matt is 16, Elizabeth is 13, James is almost 11 and Max Grissom is almost 10

Michael is 6, Jenna is 4 and Alicia Brown is 3

Alexander is 12, Christopher is 7 and Caitlyn Stokes is almost 5

Nathan and Karen Sanders are 1.

1

"Technically, you can't call this a family meeting since dad isn't here," Jamie announced, sliding down on the couch.

"That's because it's about dad, stupid," Lizzie told him.

"Can I have a million dollars?" Max piped up.

"No," Catherine said firmly. "And Lizzie, don't call your brother stupid." She took a deep breath. "Alright are we all paying attention? Good. Your father is turning fifty in two months."

"Wow!" Lizzie said. "That's like…half a century!"

Lindsey smirked. "Yeah, I don't think you should phrase it quite like that."

"For his birthday," Catherine continued, "I want to do something very special for him. Fifty is a very important birthday."

"Like a party?" Matt asked.

"Yes, like a party. But I'm also going to give him a surprise."

Lindsey narrowed her eyes. "You're not pregnant again, are you?"

"You're hilarious," Catherine replied. "I'm going to have his mother fly out for his birthday."

"REALLY?" Max cried. "That's SO cool!"

Jamie slapped his hand over his younger brother's mouth. "I promise we won't tell, Mom."

"I promise too," came Max's muffled voice.

"Good," Catherine replied. "And I want you to all think of what you're going to get your father. And I don't want you spending all your pocket money – but I know he'd like a card from each of you."

"Chill, mom, we're on it," Lizzie said.

Matt groaned. "Would you and Hilary Dude get a room?"

"It's Duff," Lizzie replied, folding her arms in a huff.

"Well Duff is going to make me deaf, so…"

"Guys, time out," Catherine said, gesturing to them with her hands. "We're focusing on Dad, remember?"

Max jumped up. "I have to get to work!"

Catherine watched as her youngest son dashed out of the room. "Ookay. Anyone else need any help?"

"I think Max is the only one that needs therapy," Matt grinned.

"I HEARD THAT!" came the call from upstairs.

--

Jamie surveyed the surroundings of the bug museum. He was thinking about his father's fiftieth birthday, and he finally decided that he was going to catch the best bug his father had ever seen.

Of course, he still had to decide what kind of bug it was going to be.

--

"Hey, almost birthday boy," Catherine smiled, as her husband walked into the living room. "How was your day?"

"Not too bad," Gil replied, kissing her softly on the lips. "How was your day off?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, urging him closer for a long, wet kiss. "It's better when we share our days off."

"I agree," Gil whispered back, pulling her flush with his body. "Much better."

"EW! Guys! I am expecting people in this house soon! I don't want them to witness my parents kissing!" Lizzie shielded her eyes. "I don't even want ME to witness my parents kissing."

Catherine turned around from where she stayed in Gil's arms. "Whom are you having over?"

"Just a couple of friends."

Gil glanced at Cath, then over at his daughter. "How many is a couple?"

"Four."

Catherine's eyes widened. "FOUR?"

"Chill, mom. We'll be quiet and stuff."

The couple watched as Lizzie went upstairs again. Catherine turned to her husband.

"Did she just tell me to 'chill'?"

"Never mind, darling," Gil assured her. "I think I prefer you hot."

She giggled and kissed him. "I love you."

--

Ben looked over at his window and groaned as he saw Max climbing in. "You know, if you trampled on Mum's roses again, I'm the one who's going to get blamed for it."

"Quit bellyaching," Max told his friend. "The roses are fine."

"You know, we still have that nice front door."

"You think I'm touching that after your father installed one of his whiz-bang spy devices on it? I may be only a kid, but I'm not stupid!"

Ben grinned. "True. That electro-pulse thing almost took out the mailman."

Max's face lit up. "Cool! Did you get pictures?"

"They're on my website." Ben swiveled around on his computer chair. "So, what's up?"

"I need your help."

"No problem."

"My dad's turning fifty, and I need to get him a cool present."

Ben scratched his chin. "Intriguing."

"Any ideas?"

"Well, for a birthday as big as this, we definitely don't want to go the clothes or ties route."

Max wrinkled his nose. "Yeah. Ties are like self-strangulation devices."

"He's lived half a century on this earth, so you need to find something that will mean a lot to him."

"I feel my brilliance is lingering just out of my reach," Max pouted.

"I've got it!" Ben cried. "Your dad is turning fifty, so he must have done a lot of amazing stuff in his life."

"Like having me," Max commented.

"And being a CSI!"

"And having me."

"And marrying your mom."

"And having me."

Ben narrowed his eyes. "Uh, yeah."

"So what's the idea?"

"Make a documentary about your dad. I can help and it can include everything important about him. You can have interviews and old footage and everything."

"Perfect!" Max cried.

--

"Fifty." Gil muttered to himself as he filled in some paperwork. "Fifty."

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

Gil looked up and smiled at Nick. "I think my life's probably mad anyway."

Nick nodded and sat down in the free chair. "You're not having issues about turning fifty, are you boss?"

"Not really," Gil replied. "It's a fact of life that we all get older."

Nick held up the party invitation. "I'm R.S.V.Ping for the party, by the way."

Gil rolled his eyes. "RSVP to Catherine. She's the one that decided we had to have a party."

Nick smirked. "Aw, she loves you, Griss."

A broad smile appeared on the older man's face. "Yeah, she does."

"If you're worried about this whole fifty thing, you should just tell her," Nick suggested. "I bet she'd understand."

"Oh, I know she would," Gil replied. "But she's so excited. Sometimes, if you love someone, it's just better to let things go."

Nick narrowed his eyes. "Whatever you say, boss."

--

Catherine turned around to find Max filming her. "Max, honey, what are you doing?"

"Working on Dad's present," he replied.

Her eyes widened. "So you're filming my butt?"

Max wrinkled his nose. "No, mom. Gross. I'm not filming yet." He shrugged. "Although, Dad does spend a lot of time looking at…"

"Stop," Catherine said, holding up a hand. "We're not going there."

"That's a relief."

"So tell me about this present," she encouraged her son.

"Well, Ben helped me think of it. We figured that since Dad's so old and stuff, he must have done a lot of things in his life. It's a documentary of dad."

Catherine smiled. "I think he'll love it."

"Really?" Max's face lit up. "Cool!" He paused. "Hey, what kind of cake are we going to have?"

"I'm not sure yet. Any ideas?"

"Chocolate!"

Catherine chuckled. "Gee. Why am I not surprised?"

--

"I'm not fifty. I don't think like a fifty-year-old," Lizzie complained. "I'm only thirteen, I can't handle this pressure!"

Matt leant back on his computer chair and arched an eyebrow at her. "It's just a birthday present."

"Matt, Dad is only going to turn fifty once."

"So? He only turned forty once. And thirty. And twenty. And…"

Lizzie raised a hand. "I get it. But fifty is important. It's like, half a century."

"Yeah, well, you're like, weirding me out," Matt replied, mimicking his younger sister. "Just relax."

"I can't relax. I've got to think of a present."

"Lizzie, his birthday isn't for two months! I don't think you need to break down just yet."

His sister rolled her eyes. "You're such a man!"

--

Lindsey found Jamie tinkering with something in the basement. "Dare I ask what the little inventor is working on now?"

"Dad's birthday present," Jamie replied. "I just hope I can get it finished in time."

Lindsey peered over his shoulder. "What is it, exactly?"

"I'm going to make him an automatic bug feeder. All he has to do is stick in the food, and the feeder applies the food to the correct bug."

"Sounds ambitious."

"It has the same basic principles as Mom's automatic peg dispenser and the early plan for an automatic toy sorter. It's more the mechanical element that is difficult, rather than the basic idea." Jamie shrugged. "I was going to get him a new bug, but it's hard to get to Venezuela for the best bug when you're only eleven."

"Of course," Lindsey nodded. "I know exactly what you mean." She bit her lip, sincerely praying for the success of this project.

--

Catherine smiled as her husband came towards their bed. "Hey, handsome. Kids all asleep?"

Gil nodded, undressing and getting into his pajamas. "Catherine?"

"Mhm?"

"Does it bother you, getting older?"

She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "Sometimes. But then I realize that I'd rather be old than dead."

Gil looked at her, and when he realized she was serious, he burst out laughing. "I guess I never thought of it like that."

Catherine held out her arms to him and sighed in satisfaction as he settled against her body. She kissed him gently on the lips and then pulled back, looking up at him. "Believe me when I tell you this, Gil Grissom. I love you. More than anything in the world. And I don't care how old you are, what you look like, what your brain is like – because I love you. I love what's in here." She rested her palm over his heart. "Although if you leave me before I'm finished with you, I'll kick your ass."

He looked at her for a moment, before claiming her lips in a long, deep kiss. "I love you, Catherine," he murmured. "I love you so much."

She kissed him back, holding his body close to hers. "I know. I know." She kissed him softly. Her fingers trailed underneath his pajama top to caress his chest. "Still worried about getting older?"

Gil grinned, nuzzling her neck. "Actually, right now I'm more worried about getting you naked."

Catherine lifted an eyebrow. "I don't think we've ever had any trouble in that department."

He easily lifted her nightgown above her head. "No my dear, we never have had any trouble at all."

--


	2. Chapter 2

2?

Max walked down the hallway, Greg the dog following him. It had become a sight that was familiar in the Grissom family – Greg the dog shadowed Max's every move.

That morning, the two ambled into the kitchen and Max sat on a chair, Greg sitting on the floor next to him. Catherine turned around from where she was at the kitchen bench and smiled at them.

"Morning, Max. Morning…Greg."

Max narrowed his eyes. "Why do you always pause before you say his name?"

"Well, honey, it's a little strange to be calling a dog Greg, considering I've worked with Greg for so long."

Max looked at his dog. "You think it's strange?"

The dog rested his head on Max's leg. The boy looked back at his mother.

"He doesn't think it's strange."

"Good to know."

"We're hungry." Max paused. "Where is everyone?"

"Lindsey took Jamie shopping for supplies. Matt went to play basketball with some friends, and Lizzie is at a friend's place."

"Where's Dad?"

"Taking a shower," Catherine replied.

"Ew gross!"

Blinking, she turned around to face her son. "What are you talking about?"

Max shrugged. "I just felt it was appropriate. You can't be too careful in this family."

Catherine smiled and kissed him on the top of the head. "How's your project going?"

"Great. But I can't show you. It's gonna be a surprise!"

Catherine narrowed her eyes for a minute. "It is going to be a good surprise, isn't it?"

"My surprises are always good surprises."

"What about the time you surprised us by telling us you could fly – and then jumping off the garage roof and then broke your arm?"

Max paused. "That was unfortunate."

She ruffled his hair. "Just be careful, okay?"

Her son grinned innocently. "Always."

--

Lindsey watched in bemusement as Jamie went through several different electronic gizmos. "You know, most normal people take their little brothers to toy stores."

Jamie looked up at her and shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, this is more fun than a toy store!"

"True," Lindsey conceded.

"Besides, if you took Max to a toy store, he'd probably cause a lot of damage – particularly if he was all hyped up."

Lindsey mused on that for a moment. "Very true."

She followed Jamie around the store and finally looked on in confusion as Jamie hauled out some piece of metal.

"Victory!" her little brother cried.

She lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, yay?"

"That's all I need," Jamie replied. He went to head up to the counter, but paused mid-step and turned to his sister. "Can I borrow some money?"

--

Soon it was four weeks before Gil's birthday, and the house was shrouded in mystery and mayhem. Max was starting to drive everyone insane by constantly filming them. Jamie had almost moved into the bug museum and was busy at work on his project. Lizzie was hysterical over what to get her father for his birthday, while Matt was still laid-back about the whole affair. Lindsey was busy helping her mother prepare for the birthday party, and Gil was strangely quiet on the whole subject of turning fifty.

Which was precisely one of the reasons Nick Stokes had been avoiding one Catherine Grissom.

Now that he knew his boss was not all aboard the party train, he was afraid of Catherine confronting him over the birthday and that he'd blurt out the discussion he'd shared with Grissom.

So naturally, when he saw Catherine coming his way, he ducked into the nearest room and almost knocked over Greg.

"What the heck is going on?" Greg asked him, readjusting the framed photo of his family. "You almost knocked the family out."

"Catherine's coming this way."

Greg lifted an eyebrow. "It this something like those code messages? Does that translate to something like 'the crow flies at midnight.'? No…wait…that doesn't make any sense either…"

"What are you babbling about?" Nick asked. "Shut up!"

"I'M babbling? _I_ need to shut up? You just came in here and…"

Nick clamped his hand over his younger colleague's mouth, causing Greg to struggle. The two continued the fracas until they ended up crushed together against the wall. It was then that they saw Catherine.

She stood in the doorway, an amused smile on her face. "Boys," she purred, "is this something I need to inform your wives about?"

Greg pushed Nick away from him. "You may need to inform Nick's wife that he's finally lost his marbles and has to be committed."

"_I_ need to be committed? You're the one that for years has been absolutely…"

"Do I need to leave you guys alone for a while and come back at a later time?" Catherine asked.

"No," Nick said definitely. "Everything's fine here."

Greg straightened his collar. "I need a drink."

After Greg had left the room, Catherine turned to Nick. "You've been avoiding me, Nick."

"Me? Of course I haven't."

Catherine just folded her arms and stared at him.

"Okay, yes, I may have been avoiding you. But only a little!"

"Explain, Nick."

"It's no big deal," he assured her.

"Okay."

"It's about Grissom."

Catherine's eyes narrowed. "Is anything the matter with him?"

"No!" Nick assured her. "No, he's fine. He's in his office, I think."

"Start explaining, Nicky," Catherine said, her patience becoming thin.

"Gil is a little apprehensive about having a birthday party," Nick explained.

Catherine's face fell. "He is? He didn't tell me…" She bit her lip. "He's never not told me things like that before."

Nick suddenly felt a little lump in his throat. "Cath…He loves you. He knows how much this celebration means to you."

Catherine mustered up a smile. "It's fine, Nick." She patted his shoulder. "Talk to you soon, okay."

Nick watched Catherine walk out of the room and he frowned. He felt very, very uncomfortable.

--

Gil looked up and smiled as he saw his wife standing in the doorway to his office. "Hi, sweetheart."

Catherine smiled briefly at him. She closed the door behind her and leant against it. "Why didn't you tell me you didn't want a party?"

Gil leant back against his chair, taking his glasses off. "Cath, come here."

"No," she replied. "I want to know why you didn't tell me. We don't lie to each other."

He narrowed his eyes. "Where would you get the idea that I lied to you? I've never lied to you, Cath, you know that."

"You didn't tell me this."

"There's a difference between lying and not telling."

"Don't play your wordgames with me."

"Maybe you should listen to me before you start jumping to conclusions."

She shrugged. "I'm listening."

"I never said I didn't want a party, Catherine. I'm not always comfortable being the center of attention, and fifty is a big milestone, but I saw how happy it made you." He smiled at her. "I love you, Cath. And if I'm going to celebrate my birthday, I'm more than happy to have a party with you."

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she tried to look stern. "I'm not having sex with you in front of all your guests, Gil Grissom, no matter how sexy you think my body is."

He chuckled. "Are you kidding? Your body, my darling, is my exclusive property."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Gil crooked a finger at her. "Come here."

Catherine moved over and settled herself in his lap. Their lips met in a long, deep kiss and Gil's fingers disappeared under her shirt.

As his lips pressed kisses to her neck, Catherine shivered in delight. "Gil…here?"

"Yes, here," he murmured. "I may be almost fifty, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop making love to my wife in my own office."

Catherine giggled. "I love you, old man."

"I love you too…" He paused. "Nope, not in my best interests to go there."

Catherine punched him lightly. "Shut up and kiss me, Gil."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, granting her wish.

--


	3. Chapter 3

3?

Matt chuckled as he caught Lizzy wrapping a shirt. "Wow. Couldn't get more imaginative than that, huh?"

She glared at him. "I'll have you know that this is a very nice shirt!"

"Of course it is," Matt agreed.

"Well what did YOU get dad?"

"I haven't yet."

Her eyes widened. "You didn't get him a present yet?"

"Well, as you and Hilary Dude like to say – chill, Lizzie." He sauntered out of her room, whistling an annoying tune.

"It's DUFF!"

--

Jamie watched with a concerned eye as the bug feeder sprayed nuts on the wall. He frowned. "Okay, so that's not good."

--

Catherine chatted animatedly on the phone to Gil's mother, relieved that they had put a type text phone in place for just this purpose. They liked to share tales of the children, and Catherine enjoyed talking to someone who adored her husband as much as she did.

She was finalizing plans for Gil's birthday present, and was delighted to hear that Gil's mother was going to bring some more baby photos of Gil.

Max passed through the phone, Greg the dog following him. Catherine's eyes trailed after her son for a moment, but she was sure there wasn't anything nearby that could help Max cause any trouble.

She was wrong.

--

Having been bored the previous afternoon, Max had found himself flipping channels on the television. He settled on the food channel, finding that these people liked food as much as he did. There had been some fairly basic cooking recipes on the shows, including roasts, salads and desserts.

But it had been the Bombe Alaska that had taken Max's fancy.

To him, the idea of making a cake and then setting it alight was the epitome of cool. So he had gone out with his friend Ben to buy some ingredients.

Max considered himself a good boy. He'd asked his mother if he could make a cake, and she told him he could, as long as he asked an adult to do the stove for him.

Unfortunately, Max was also very impatient. And since his mother was on the phone, and the rest of the house was quiet, he decided he needed to take drastic action.

--

Gil careered into the emergency department of Desert Palm, anxious and pale. "Max Grissom! Where's Max?"

"Dad!"

"Lizzie!" Gil ran over to his daughter. "Where's Max? Where's your mother? What happened?"

"Dad, like chill. Max is totally fine, except he kind of singed off his eyebrows. He set the kitchen on fire! Mom's kitchen looks like a total hole, and she doesn't look too good either. I think…"

Gil raced past Lizzie the minute he saw Catherine sitting on a gurney. "Cath!"

She was pale, and there was a bandage on her hand, but more than anything, she looked a little shocked. When she saw him, her arms went around his neck. "Gil."

He held his wife tight against his body, rocking her for a moment. "Sweetheart, what happened? Lizzie was talking about your kitchen being set on fire and where's Max?"

"He's fine," Catherine murmured, patting her husband's back. "We're all fine, even Greg the dog. Max decided he was going to make a Bombe Alaska. He told me he was going to make a cake, and I foolishly said he could as long as he asked for help with the stove. I was on the phone and he didn't ask me and then he used your blowtorch to set his cake alight and well, he set the kitchen on fire."

"Oh god! How bad is he?"

"He's fine," Catherine assured him. "He singed off his eyebrows, so he's feeling sore and sorry for himself."

Gil's hand gently held her bandaged one in his. "And you?"

"Just a nasty burn," Catherine replied, letting him hold her again. "The smoke alarm went off when there was fire and I went in to make sure everyone was out." She took a deep breath. "God, Gil, he could have been killed! If he'd have put the stove actually on, instead of using the blowtorch first, it would have exploded!"

Gil's rocked his wife in his arms, pressing a deep kiss to her lips. "It's okay, Cath. You're all okay."

Catherine rested against him, closing her eyes. "Lindsey is watching Matt and Jamie outside, because we have Greg with us. The firemen sent us all up to the hospital to be checked, but we're all fine."

Gil kissed her again. "Let me go and see Max and I'll be right back, okay?"

Catherine leant on the gurney again. "Stay with him. I'm fine."

Gil touched her hand and went towards the next curtain, finding his son lying down and his head bandaged. "Max."

The little boy looked up at his father. "Dad, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to set the kitchen on fire and hurt mom! I really didn't!"

Gil took his son's hand. "Shh, Max. I know you didn't. And your mom is just fine. Her hand is sore and she's in shock, but she's fine. We're just glad that everyone got out and is okay."

"Can we go home soon?"

Gil smiled, caressing his son's head. "Soon, Max. Soon."

--

Catherine lay curled up atop her husband. Her body was still warm from their lovemaking, and her bandaged hand lay near him, where he would lean occasionally to kiss it.

She'd spent some time in Max's room, just sitting and watching him sleep until Gil had come to get her. He'd told her that she needed to sleep, but she said that she couldn't – her mind was still on what had happened that day.

Gil had told that his mind was still on it too – and the terror he'd felt when he'd got the call and first seen them in the hospital. Then he'd touched her and it had all unraveled.

They'd made love slowly, Gil cherishing her and Catherine just desperate to be close to him again. Now, as they lay together afterwards, still as intimately connected as possible, he caressed her back, soothing her tired body.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice still husky.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "Exhausted but alert. Terrified but comforted. Scared but safe."

"He's fine, sweetheart." He kissed her lips softly. "And you're fine. And the insurance will cover the kitchen."

"It's not that," she whispered. "I'm his mother. I'm supposed to take care of him."

Gil looked at her, confused as to what she was saying. "Cath, I don't understand. You take great care of our kids."

"I should have made sure he was making a cake that was safe for him. I should have stopped him from getting the blowtorch – I almost killed him, Gil!"

"Hey." Gil's voice was firm and his hands cupped her face, making sure that she looked him in the eyes. "You are an amazing mother. Max had an accident. Granted, most kids don't burn down kitchens, but this is Max. We always knew he would be a handful. And what happened today is not your fault. It's not. Understand me?"

She nodded slowly and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Catherine lay down again on his chest and Gil resumed his stroking. He lifted her bandaged hand and pressed a kiss to it, before replacing it gently beside him.

"I love you, Catherine. More than anything. Don't ever forget that."

Catherine snuggled closer, closing her eyes. "I love you too, Gil."

--


	4. Chapter 4

4?

Gil awoke first the next morning and spent the first few minutes of his day watching his wife sleep. She was so peaceful in her sleep, and his hand reached out to gently touch her bandaged one.

He hated to see her hurt.

Getting up quietly, he watched as she looked confused without him, but continued to sleep. He smiled and put on his slippers before heading down to Max and Jamie's room. When he peered inside, he saw that Jamie had disappeared, but Max was still snoozing.

He surveyed his youngest son for a minute, part of him still in shock over the previous day. His children were very precious to him, and the idea that anything could happen to them had always been one of his greatest fears.

Making his way downstairs, he headed for the kitchen and was astonished to find Lindsey, Matt, Lizzie and Jamie in there, starting to clean it up.

"Guys?"

"Morning Dad," Lindsey said, putting some rubbish in the big garbage bag she was holding. "Sleep well?"

"Uh, fine thank you. What are you guys up to?"

"Cleaning up," Matt replied. "We knew that mom would be pretty worn out, and Max shouldn't be allowed near anything flammable for the next billion years, but we know how much Mom loves her kitchen."

"Yeah, you guys built it together when you first bought the house," Lizzie added.

Gil smiled. "I think you guys are doing a great job. Your mom is going to get such a surprise."

"How is Mom?" Lindsey asked quietly.

"Still asleep," Gil replied. "Her hand bothered her a bit last night."

"Max is still asleep too," Jamie told him.

"What can I do to help?" Gil asked.

"Go and be with Mom," Lindsey said. "I know how she gets all weird when she wakes up and you're not there."

He narrowed his eyes at his eldest daughter and then smiled. "Okay. You guys come get me if you need me."

--

When he lay back down on his bed, Catherine curled up to him, making a satisfied sound.

"You're back."

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"Are the kids okay?"

"They're all fine. Including Max. He's sound asleep."

She snuggled closer, smiling as he put his arm around her. "Good."

Gil kissed her forehead. "How's your hand?"

"It aches a little, but I'll live."

He kissed her softly on the lips. "You need to rest."

"I need to clean up that kitchen. There's a lot to do before your birthday."

"Catherine Grissom, don't you dare even think about it. Otherwise I'll ring the doctor that treated you and…"

"Don't nag."

"Don't be ridiculous. Besides, the kids are doing the kitchen."

Catherine sat bolt upright in the bed and stared at her husband. "They're doing what!"

"They're cleaning the kitchen." Gil cocked his head to one side. "Have I mentioned recently that I love your breasts?"

She blinked at him. "Gil, that's not the point. The point is…"

"It is the point. I'm looking at your breasts and I'm telling you that I love them."

"Gil…why are our children cleaning the kitchen?"

"Because they wanted to surprise you. And I also love your abdomen. Have I mentioned that as well?"

She looked down at him, a bemused smile on her face. "What has gotten into you?"

Gil's hands ran down her body, over her arms and her hips. "I'm turning fifty. And I'm thinking how lucky I am."

"Because you like my breasts and my stomach?"

"Because I love you. And our kids. And I'm happy."

Catherine nestled down so that she lay above him. "I'm glad, Gil. Really glad."

--

"Can I take a picture of you for my website?" Ben asked Max.

"Sure. I wanted to draw in my own eyebrows, but Mom wouldn't let me."

"Bummer."

"Did you upload the video?"

"Yeah. It was pretty cool that your grandma sent you video tape. My grandmother's not technology savvy."

"Grandma's cool like that," Max replied.

"Okay," Ben said. "Everything's all ready to go. Let's make this documentary."

--

Matt heaved his piggy bank upside down and shook, frowning when only a ten-dollar bill came floating out. "That's not a good thing."

Lizzie wandered into his room. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking about dad's present."

"A ten-dollar bill?"

"You're not helping."

"I told you to get Dad a present earlier! Max has got a present, Jamie has one, I have one, Lindsey has one, Mom has one – you have to get Dad something!"

"I know! I know!" Matt started rummaging through drawers and his closet. "I'll think of something."

"You better think quick. Dad turns fifty in one week!"

Matt glared at her. "I know!"

"I could give you a loan."

Her older brother narrowed his eyes. "What kind of terms are we talking."

Lizzie grinned and sat down on the desk chair. "Let's confer."

--


	5. Chapter 5

5

The morning of Gil Grissom's fiftieth birthday dawned fine and clear, much to Catherine's relief as she had planned for the party to take place outside. She glanced over at her husband and smiled at his sleeping form. Her fingers trailed up his chest and gently caressed his cheek. Leaning down, she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and watched his eyes open.

"Happy Birthday, honey."

He smiled at her, pressing his lips to hers in a deep kiss. "I like that wakeup call."

"And with all the kids in the house just itching to wish you happy birthday, that's the only wakeup call you can expect today."

Gil pulled her body closer to his so they lay pressed against one another. "Maybe they don't know we're awake yet."

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "I wouldn't count on it." They shared a long kiss. "But I can assure you there will be you and me time later."

He grinned. "I like the sound of that."

Catherine kissed him once more, and then tenderly moved her body upwards so that she could get up. Gil watched her bandaged hand.

"How's it feeling this morning?"

"A lot better," Catherine replied. "It'll definitely be up to our activities later."

He chuckled. "As wonderful as that sounds, I was more concerned because I love you."

She looked over at him as she stood up. "I know."

There came a great thumping at the door.

"IS HE UP YET?" came Max's unmistakable voice. "JUST CAUSE HE'S OLD NOW DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN SLEEP IN, YOU KNOW!"

Catherine chuckled and turned to her husband. "Told you they knew we'd be awake."

Gil rolled his eyes and got out of bed, putting a shirt and his glasses on. "You know, sometimes it scares me that he's turning into Greg Sanders."

"You're only sometimes scared by that possibility?" Catherine went and opened the door. "Morning, demons."

"Hi, mom," came Max's quick answer. He then ran into the room and bounced on the bed. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!"

"I didn't give him any sugar, I swear," Lizzie explained.

Catherine chuckled and let the rest of the children in. Then she came and sat beside her husband.

"This is from me, Dad," Lizzie said, handing over her present. "I thought I'd better give you something sane, because I make no apologies about how weird the rest of the family's presents are going to be."

There were several protestations of "hey" and "you're so insulting" as Gil chuckled and unwrapped his present. He smiled as he took out the shirt.

"It's perfect, Lizzie."

Jamie placed his present on his father's lap next. "It may still have a few kinks, so be careful."

Gil glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye. She shrugged and moved back slightly from the present as he started to open it.

"It's an automatic bug feeder," Jamie explained. "But like I said, it still has a few kinks. So…uh…maybe stand away from it a bit when you use it."

Gil and Catherine shared alarmed looks and Lindsey decided to break the awkward moment by handing over her present.

"Happy Birthday, dad. This is from me and Simon."

Gil looked curiously at his wife, who mouthed 'boyfriend'. He nodded and smiled at Lindsey. "That's wonderful, darling. Thank you."

He opened the present to reveal a cocktail mixing set. His eyes lit up. "I love it, Lindsey!"

Lindsey grinned at him. "Good. You can tell Simon when you see him. He was the one that suggested it."

Gil bit his lip and was about to retort when Matt handed over a gift.

"Happy Birthday, Dad," he smiled.

Gil wondered why Lizzie's eyes were lighting up, but he said nothing, positive that there was nothing too dangerous in the present. He opened it up and grinned as he saw the Swiss Army knife.

"I figured that you might need it sometimes," Matt explained.

"Thanks, Matt. It's perfect."

"MY TURN!"

Everyone in the room turned to Max, who still looked quite comical while his eyebrows grew back. The youngest Grissom crawled over to his father and gave him a huge hug.

"Happy Birthday, Dad."

Gil opened the present and looked at the videotape inside.

"It's a documentary about you," Max said. "Everyone helped, including Grandma Grissom. She sent videos and stuff. I figured since you're half a century and all that, it might be helpful."

"This is wonderful, Max. Thank you," Gil hugged his son. "I can't wait to watch it."

"I even filmed a short scene of Mom's butt for you," Max informed him. "It was gross, but I loved you enough to do it."

Catherine's eyebrows shot up and Gil sent her an amused glance.

"I appreciate the thought, Max."

"Hey, Mom, tell Dad what you got him," Lindsey urged her.

Gil looked curiously at his wife, who had a wide grin on her face. He narrowed his eyes. "Cath…you're not pregnant again, are you?"

She glared at him. "Don't make me hit you on your birthday, Gil Grissom."

He chuckled. "Okay, sweetheart. I'm being serious now."

"First of all, I want you to have this." Catherine handed him over a small parcel and Gil opened it carefully. Inside laid nestled two crystal scotch glass Gil smiled at the inscription on one of them. 'To you. From me'. He looked up at his wife. "Catherine, they're perfect."

She smiled softly at him. "Also, there's going to be a special guest at your birthday party this afternoon. You'll have to come to the airport with me to get her."

He looked thoughtful. "Cath…"

Catherine moved closer to him on the bed, kissing his lips tenderly. "Your mother is coming."

Gil's eyes lit up and he held his wife tight against him. "Catherine…"

"Happy birthday, darling," she whispered, kissing him again.

Lizzie wrinkled her nose. "Are you guys going to be kissing like that when there are other people in the house?"

Gil caressed Catherine's cheek. "I hope so."

"Gross."

--

Catherine glanced at her husband, an amused look on her face as she watched him fidgeting while waiting for his mother's plane.

"Gil. Stop it."

He quickly stuck his hands in his pockets. "Stop what?"

"Fidgeting."

Gil frowned. "I don't fidget."

"You keep telling yourself that, darling."

When the announcement came that the plane had landed, Catherine tried to smother a giggle as she watched Gil begin to fidget again. He glanced at her and she straightened her face.

"You're laughing at me."

With a smile on her face, Catherine moved closer to her husband, holding him tight against her. "No, I'm not. I actually think you're adorable."

"Adorable?"

Catherine leant up and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Adorable."

--

Jamie looked thoughtful. "We should ask Grandma if Dad ever set anything on fire like Max does. Grandma Lily said that Mom never set things on fire."

"Our family is weird," Lizzie muttered. "Everyone at school thinks I come from a family of insane people."

Max grinned. "Cool! I'm Max…the insane one!" He paused. "Hey, I could have multiple personalities! Like Fang Man, Max and Max the Insane one. And Bad Max! And…"

"Please stop," Matt begged. "I don't think we can take more than one Max personality."

The youngest Grissom pouted. "You have no sense of adventure."

The sound of the car arriving in their driveway broke the jesting time. Max held onto Greg's collar and Lindsey in turn held onto Max's collar. Both Max and Greg struggled against their captors, but both were unsuccessful.

Soon the front door opened and Rose Grissom smiled as she saw the children waiting to meet her. Gil walked in behind his mother, carrying her bag as Catherine closed the door behind them.

"Can I let Greg go now?" Max asked. "I wanna say hi to Grandma!"

"Let me get Grandma sitting down first," Catherine explained. "You and Greg are a tad exuberant."

Gil, Rose and Catherine went into the living room while Max craned around to look at his siblings.

"What's exuberant?"

"You on a sugar high," Matt told him.

The youngest Grissom grinned. "Cool!"

--


	6. Chapter 6

6?

After Rose had been settled in, Catherine set to work preparing for the party in the afternoon. She was chopping up some carrots which she hoped to disguise so her children might eat them, when she heard a familiar voice.

"I can now rewind and watch your butt all over again."

She turned around, lifting an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Gil held up the DVD Max had given him. "I can rewind and watch your butt over and over again."

Catherine's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Give me that DVD!"

Gil shook his head, hiding it behind his body. "No. You can't have it. It's mine."

"You better not show anyone else that DVD, Gil Grissom."

He smirked at her. "I was thinking of showing everyone at the party. I thought it would be great entertainment."

She narrowed her eyes. "If you do, I promise you that there will be no sex for the foreseeable future."

Gil paused. "How long exactly?"

"Indefinite."

Gil slowly brought the DVD back out into view again. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of entertainment without the movie."

Catherine smiled. "I knew you'd come around to my thinking, darling." She turned around to go back to her chopping, and smirked as she felt Gil's hands run over her butt. "That's very distracting."

"I thought this was a pretty good birthday present. It just keeps giving."

"Gilbert Grissom."

"We could go upstairs and play for a while before the guests come. Mom can watch the kids."

"Well, that's very generous of you to offer her for the job, and as much as I'd like to, I have a party to prepare for."

"Cath…"

She turned around in his arms, lifting an eyebrow. "Are you whining?"

"It's my birthday!"

Catherine chuckled before meeting his lips in a hot, wet kiss. "You are a menace, Gil."

"Thank you, dear."

"MOM!" Jamie raced into the room. "Max drew on eyebrows!"

"TATTLE-TALE!" Max cried, following his brother in.

Gil and Catherine turned around to look at their two youngest children. Jamie stood there just shaking his head at his younger brother. Max had taken a bright red texta and had haphazardly drawn on two eyebrows.

"What do you think?" Max asked. "Think I look handsome?"

"Probably not the way I would have described it, but okay," Gil replied.

"I think you looked better without eyebrows," Jamie offered.

"What on earth possessed you to draw eyebrows on yourself?" Catherine asked.

"I wanted to look handsome for Dad's birthday party," Max explained.

Catherine and Gil exchanged glances. Gil finally smiled at his son.

"It will be a birthday to remember."

--

The party began with Greg Sanders almost falling headlong into the pool as he chased the rest of the children around the backyard. He had proclaimed Max's eyebrows as cool, causing Claire to warn him that he better not even think about singing off his own eyebrows.

Catherine glanced at Nathan. "Aren't you ever worried that he could turn out like Greg?"

"Constantly," Claire replied, eyeing her son with trepidation.

Gil thought that perhaps a good way to calm Greg down would be to air Max's documentary. However, when he suggested this to Max, the little boy blanched.

"Uh, Dad, I don't think that's a good idea."

Gil and Catherine looked at him strangely.

"Why not?"

"Well, uh…there's a lot of kids here and…"

Catherine's eyes narrowed. "Max Grissom, what did you put on that video?"

"Um…er…" His face lit up in a broad smile. "You're pretty, Mommy!"

Before she could continue to interrogate him, Matt walked out, decked in his suit with a white napkin laid over his arm. Catherine wondered if all her children were going insane.

"Matt…what are you doing?"

The boy glared at his younger sister. "I'm Lizzie's slave. Two days for every day it takes me to pay back her loan."

They heard the ringing of a bell and turned to see Lizzie sitting on her chair, a small bell by her side and a Cheshire Cat grin on her face.

"Elizabeth Grissom, are you exploiting your brother as a slave?" Catherine took a double take. She never expected to have those words together in a sentence.

"Isn't that what brothers are for?"

Jamie piped up, "Can we have cake now?"

--

Max proudly helped his mother wheel out the tray with the cake on. The cake was chocolate, with the words "Happy 50th Gil" iced on top, as well as a miniature ladybug. Next to the main cake sat a miniature Bombe Alaska.

"Mommy said if I promised to wait to use the explosion part, I could make it for you!" Max cried.

"I appreciate that, Max," Gil smiled, ruffling his son's hair. He turned to Catherine. "You made this one?"

She shrugged. "I had a bit of help, but my cooking's certainly improved over the years, wouldn't you say?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. I never worry about food poisoning now."

Catherine punched him softly. "You're an ass."

"That's a lovely thing to say to your husband on his birthday!"

"Can I capture this on film?" Max asked.

"No!"

--

Late into the night, Gil groaned as he fell back flat on the bed. His wife grinned beside him, curling atop his body like a cat.

"You…" he got out between pants, "should be registered as a lethal weapon. You could give a man a heart attack!"

A smirk appeared on her lips. "I take it that you enjoyed."

"Sweetheart, I always enjoy sex with you but that…"

"Mmm," she smiled. "Books are wonderful things."

"You learnt that from a book?"

"Well, I threw a little of my own style and experience in, but the basics, yeah."

"I must buy you that book."

Catherine patted his chest. "You already did, hon."

"I did?" He rolled his eyes. "You're a shopaholic."

"Not true. The book was for both of us." She leant up and kissed his lips. "Have a good day?"

Gil grinned. "The best."

As her eyes began to droop, Catherine snuggled closer to her husband. "Happy Fiftieth Birthday, Gil Grissom."

When the soft, even sound of her breathing floated into his ears, Gil grinned. "Happy birthday to me!"

FINIS


End file.
